Surry County is a county in Virginia, United States, on the south bank of the James River across from Virginia’s Historic Triangle. It had a population of 6,561 at the 2020 census and covers 310 square miles (800 km2) centred near 37°07′N 76°53′W.
Surry is the county seat and its postal code is 23883. The county has three incorporated towns — Surry, Dendron and Claremont — plus the census-designated place of Scotland and a scatter of rural crossroads communities. Surry County sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Surry County
Surry County lists three incorporated towns and one census-designated place, with the rest of its settlements unincorporated hamlets and crossroads recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau’s Geographic Names Information System. Pop. figures below are shown only where a confirmed 2020 census count exists for that place; unincorporated communities have no separate census count and are marked —.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surry | Town | — | 23883 |
| Dendron | Town | — | 23839 |
| Claremont | Town | — | 23899 |
| Scotland | CDP | — | 23883 |
| Spring Grove | Unincorp. | — | 23881 |
| Elberon | Unincorp. | — | 23846 |
| Alliance | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Barham | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beachland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Berrymans Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blizzards Corners | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Booth Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| California Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Carsley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chippokes | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Claremont Manor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Delk Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Derrings Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eastover | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ellis Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Genovar | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Goodrich Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Guilford Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gwaltney Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Highgate | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Homewood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Itata | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laurel Springs Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lazy Oak Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Moorings | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Pleasant | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Hill Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Runnymede | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Savedge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spratleys Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sunken Meadow Beach | Unincorp. | — | — |
Two names in the old list did not check out and are omitted here. Wakefield is a town in neighboring Sussex County, not Surry County. Poolesville is a Maryland town, not a Surry County place — both look like scraper artifacts from an earlier version of this page.
ZIP Codes
- 23883 — Surry (also serves Scotland)
- 23881 — Spring Grove
- 23839 — Dendron
- 23846 — Elberon
- 23899 — Claremont (PO Box only)
Smaller crossroads communities such as Carsley, Homewood and Spratleys Mill use the ZIP code of their nearest post office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
Surry County occupies a peninsula-like stretch of Virginia’s Coastal Plain on the south side of the James River, directly across the water from Jamestown and Williamsburg. The Blackwater and Nottoway rivers drain the county’s southern edge, and Chippokes Plantation State Park preserves several miles of James River shoreline. The Surry Nuclear Power Plant sits on the riverbank near Gravel Neck.
Surry County borders Charles City County and James City County to the north across the James River, Prince George County to the west, Sussex County to the south, Southampton County to the southeast, and Isle of Wight County to the east.
Demographics
Surry County had 6,561 residents at the 2020 census. Spring Grove and Surry are the two largest communities. The county’s median household income runs below the Virginia median of $89,931, reflecting its small, rural tax base. Population density is roughly 24 people per square mile, among the lowest in eastern Virginia.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture and forestry have anchored the county’s economy for more than 350 years, with peanuts, soybeans, corn and timber the leading products. The Surry Nuclear Power Plant, operated by Dominion Energy, is the county’s largest single employer and taxpayer. Chippokes Plantation State Park and the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, which links Scotland to Jamestown across the James River, draw day-trip visitors and support seasonal tourism jobs.
History
Surry County was formed in 1652 from land south of the James River that had belonged to James City County, and takes its name from Surrey, England. Bacon’s Castle, built around 1665 near the community of Bacon’s Castle and occupied by rebel forces during Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676, is among the oldest surviving brick structures in English North America. The county’s plantation-era economy relied on enslaved labor before the Civil War, a history documented at several of its historic sites today.
Getting There
US Route 460 crosses the county’s southern half and Virginia Routes 10, 31 and 40 connect its towns to the James River and points south.
- Williamsburg — 15 miles north, via the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry
- Petersburg — 25 miles west
- Suffolk — 30 miles southeast
- Newport News — 35 miles northeast
The nearest commercial airport is Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, about 25 miles northeast of Surry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Surry County, Virginia?
It sits in southeastern Virginia on the south bank of the James River, directly across from Williamsburg and Jamestown.
What is the population of Surry County?
6,561 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Surry County?
310 square miles (800 km2), of which 279 square miles is land and 31 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Surry County?
The town of Surry is the county seat.
How many towns are in Surry County?
Three incorporated towns — Surry, Dendron and Claremont — plus the CDP of Scotland and dozens of unincorporated crossroads communities.
What ZIP codes are in Surry County?
23883 (Surry), 23881 (Spring Grove), 23839 (Dendron), 23846 (Elberon) and 23899 (Claremont).
How do you get from Surry County to Williamsburg?
The Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, a free state-run car ferry, crosses the James River between Scotland and Jamestown year-round.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Virginia.